Urologic Oncology Fellowship
Length: 2 years
Number of positions: 1
Fellowship Directors: Dr Maurice Anidjar and Dr. Simon Tanguay
DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY -DIVISION OF UROLOGY
APPLICATION FORM FOR UROLOGIC ONCOLOGY FELLOWSHIP
Name of Institution: McGill University -Department of Surgery -Division of Urology
Location: McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and Jewish General Hospital (JGH)
Type of Fellowship: Urologic Oncology Fellowship.
Fellowship Directors: Maurice Anidjar, MD; Simon Tanguay, MD
Program Information
• 2-year fellowship position: 50% research, 50% clinical training over a 2-year period.
• Number of fellowship positions requested: one.
• Academic affiliation: McGill University - Department of Surgery, Division of Urology.
• Hospitals involved in training: McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and Jewish General Hospital.
• During the clinical year of the fellowship, the rotations will take place at both sites every 3 months, including 1-month rotation in medical oncology, radiotherapy, surgical pathology and interventional radiology (1 week in each discipline), to enhance the understanding of multidisciplinary care for urologic cancer patients in each site.
• The McGill Urologic Oncology Fellowship is designed to train individuals for independent academic careers in urologic oncology, including mini-invasive and robotic-assisted surgical procedures. The clinical training will be complemented by research work over a period of 2 years. As an exception, in order to suit the individual needs of the applicant, a 1-year clinical and research fellowship could be allowed after common decision of the directors.
Eligibility
Candidates for the McGill Urologic Oncology fellowship must be committed to an academic research career in uro-oncology, provide evidence of excellence in academic scholarship and have completed a urology residency program. Candidates must be fluent in English and/or in French. Candidates must fulfill the general requirements of McGill University post-graduate fellowship eligibility criteria.
Mission
The main purpose of this fellowship is to train individuals to be innovators and experts in clinical and surgical practices, research, education and advocacy, a step leading to leadership and being an academic reference in the urologic oncology field.
The Clinical Mission
Clinical activities will comprise 50% of the fellowship. During this time, fellows will have exposure to a wide variety of oncologic disease states across a diverse patient population in the 2 Institutions, surrounded by 5 different professors. The fellow will attend and participate to uro-oncology clinics with program faculty on a weekly basis. Clinical exposure will allow to integrateinto the initial diagnosis evaluation and treatment processes as well as post-treatment follow-up and disease relapse be on surgical skills. One of the expertise of McGill urology centers is mini-invasive and robotic assisted surgery for radical prostatectomy and partial/radical nephrectomy and specific expertise in radical cystectomy and intraoperative urinary diversion (both ileal conduit and Studerneobladder).
DaVinci robots are in use in each Institution with a double console and simulator at the JGH for training purpose.
The fellow will have the opportunity to take part in the major areas of urologic oncology procedures by open, laparoscopic and robotic techniques. Surgical exposure priority will be given to the PGY4\5
Fellow Duties and Responsibilities
The Fellow is responsible for attending weekly clinics related to urologic oncology and will participate actively in all aspects of the in-patient clinical service including ward rounds, the consult service for both site wards and emergency room. He is expected to actively participate in the care and preparation of patients pre-and post-operatively.
The Fellow is expected to contribute to the teaching of residents and students to get knowledge about uro-oncologic surgical procedures as well as their indications, outcomes and possible complications, organize weekly simulation training sessions on the DaVinci system and participate to the pig lab for mini-invasive procedures.
The Fellow will be performing a monthly review of the literature on a urologic oncology subject with presentation to the McGill urology residents under the supervision of a training faculty.
In addition, the Fellow will be expected to actively participate in hospital based activities including Surgical Teaching Rounds, Grand Rounds, Morbidity and Mortality conferences, Tumor Board, combined Radiology Urology Rounds and Urology Resident teaching sessions when applicable. The Fellow will participate to on-call coverage with residents In addition, research conferences will be offered in order to enhance the fellow’s understanding of ongoing projects and general research Fellows will attend selected conferences and seminars conducted within the McGill University Health System to enhance their expertise in clinical oncology, research ethics and responsibility, and knowledge of basic science and clinical research on both sites.
The fellow will also participate in the activities of the Rossy Cancer Network GU Site Group Team
Specific objectives include:
• Exposure to complex surgical procedures in uro-oncology.
• Development of advanced skills for mini-invasive/robotic procedures.
• Evaluation and non-surgical management of common complications of uro-oncologic procedures.
• Post-operative care of the patient undergoing uro-oncologic surgery.
• Development of consultant skills for in-hospital patients.
• Exposure to diagnostic cystoscopy.
• Knowledge on the indications and interpretation of radiologic investigations, namely prostate magnetic resonance imaging, exposure to MR-targeted prostate TRUS biopsy and focal therapy for prostate cancer, renal biopsy and needle ablation of small renal masses, organ/tumor US/CT guided biopsy.
• Protecting fifteen percent of the total curriculum for clinical research activities, the Fellow will have opportunities to develop projects involving education, performance measurements and clinicaloutcomes in urologic oncology that will be attested by peer-reviewed publications and communications to QUA, CUA and/or international meetings.
Program Faculty
Teaching staff include
Urologic Oncology
JGH: Dr Victor McPherson, M.D. Maurice Anidjar, M.D., PhD
MUHC: Simon Tanguay, M.D.; Armen Aprikian, M.D.; Wassim Kassouf, M.D., Dr Rafael Sanchez Salas, M.D.
Medical Oncology Radiation Oncology
JGH: Michael Pollak, M.D., PhD, Tamin Niazi, M.D.; Cristiano Ferrario, M.D., Boris Bahoric, M.D.; Wilson Miller, M.D., PhD
MUHC: Fabio Cury, M.D.; Sergio Faria, M.D., Dr Ragu Rajan, M.D., Dr Ramy Saleh, M.D., Luis Souhami, M.D.
Genitourinary Pathology
JGH: Mona ElAdim, M.D.; Adrian Gologan, M.D.
MUHC: FadiBrimo, M.D.
Summary of clinical practice:
The clinical practice at the JGH focuses on robot-assisted procedures in urologic cancers, from radical prostatectomy, complex partial nephrectomy to radical cystectomy with intra-operative urinary diversion, bothileal conduit and ilealneobladder, to RPLND for testis cancer in selected prostate biopsy and focal HIFU ablation of prostate cancer. The clinical practice at MUHC focuses on robotic radical prostatectomy, open and robotic partial nephrectomy, laparoscopic radical nephrectomy, radical cystectomy with various diversions, open RPLND and major complex cases. Major strengths:The teaching faculty is widely and internationally recognized for its excellence in the field of urologic oncology and minimally invasive surgery from both a clinical and research sufficient exposure to the surgical cases. The academic program is well organized and interaction with surgeons, researchers, fellows, residents and students is very stimulating.
Roles of Teaching Faculty
Assess and instruct the fellow of relevant information to clinical practice and also assess:
-The fellow's clinical judgment, diagnostic and therapeutic skills;
-The fellow's surgical skills in order to perform an efficient and safe open, laparoscopic and robotic
procedure in complex cases;
-The fellow's capacity to consult with other physicians and allied health professionals,
-The fellow's contribution to effectively improve residents' knowledge in urologic oncology.
Surgical Volume
Yearly number of urologic oncology procedures at the 2 McGill institutions in 2012-2013-2014
The Research Mission
McGill University offers outstanding basic science and clinical research opportunities for fellows in urologic oncology, mainly in prostate, kidney and bladder cancer. The research experience is tailored to the previous experience and future interests of each applicant.
Research Program Options
Clinical/Health Services and Quality of Care Research in uro-oncology. Research Fellow will design at least one high value clinical or health services research endeavor, and will be expected to initiate, complete and report in a peer-reviewed journal an independent clinical research project. McGill urology centers houses national data repositories as well as local IRB approved clinical databases that details prostate cancer, bladder cancer and renal cancer.
Basic Translational Research in uro-oncology.
Several active basic science laboratories are welcoming Research Fellows in urologic oncology on both sites, at the MUHC Research Center and at the Lady Davis Research Institute at JGH. Prostate and bladder cancer are the main foci of basic science research in both sites. The program is intended to equip select physicians at the post-doctoral level with the necessary tools to pursue an independent research career in the field of urologic oncology. The program could also be adapted to Research Fellow at the PhD level. At the completion of the research program over the 2-year fellowship, trainees will have the skills to : 1- formulate testable hypotheses focused on important questions or problems in urologic oncology ; 2- develop laboratory-based skills to adequately test these hypotheses, and 3- develop critical thinking skills required to interpret and analyze quantitative laboratory data. Training in grant-writing techniques, presentation skills for optimal verbal and written communication of research findings will be part of the training. The trainee will be exposed to research seminars and expert presentations on both sites.
Basic/Translational Laboratories
LDI basic science laboratories: Dr Mark Trifiro, Dr Wilson Miller, Dr Michael Pollak, Dr Alan Spatz
MUHC basic science laboratories: Dr Simone Chevalier, Dr. Jacques Lapointe, David Labbé
MUHC Epidemiology and Health Outcomes: Dr. Alice Dragomir
The Education Mission
During the 2-year rotation throughout their clinical and research components, Fellows will integrate foundational concepts in clinical teaching. The goal here is to provide the education tools for our Fellows to be effective and thoughtful educators in their academic careers. Specific techniques and tools in clinical education will help them to teach in the operating room and they will be advised to attend teaching seminars at McGill University.We hope this will prepare our Fellows to meet their upcoming obligations as teachers and allow them to be distinguished clinician surgeons, researchers and educators.